Prayer That Opens the Path to Deliverance (June 1)

 The word for the day is “prayer.” Today, in our reading of Acts 12:1-11, we learn how God delivered the apostle Peter from the hands of King Herod.  In summary, Luke writes, “Peter was kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church” (Acts  12:5). Peter’s circumstances were bleak. A mob had stoned the pious deacon Steven to death.  King Herod had killed James, the brother of John, to death by the sword.  Now, when he saw that James’ martyrdom pleased the crowd, he arrested Peter and put him in prison. The King intended to put Peter before the same angry crowd as soon as the Passover was over.

    There are times in our lives when the way ahead seems as desperate as Peter’s. Trouble looms before us, and peril lies behind us. Our situation is like a jail from which there is no escape.  In this desperate situation, we may be bound by despair as if, like Peter, we were fastened in chains. There seems to be no way to escape from our circumstances. No matter how hard we try, we face one block after another, blockades like the guard posts and gate that ensured that Peter could not get away. In this state, we go through each day as if we were sleeping like Peter in prison, and In this condition, we may no longer be aware of our captivity to hopelessness. We are only numb, downcast, and depressed.

             

 But our reading assures us there is a way out of the bondage to despair. There is one source of hope for deliverance, escape, and freedom. The writer of Acts identifies that resource as he begins to tell the story of Peter’s release from prison. He says that Peter was kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church.  No matter how bound we are to our circumstances, this is the way out.  Prayer, you see, opens the pathway to deliverance.

             

Have you been released from something that has troubled you, something that has kept you in bondage, something that has stolen thanksgiving, hope, and joy from you?  If so, you know what kind of prayer Luke was talking about.  That kind of prayer is “constant,” better translated as fervent. The term is derived from the Greek meaning “stretched out tight,”  “stretched to the limit, “and “stretched so there is no slack.” The prayer that delivers, thus, is the appeal to God that is so vibrant that it will not quit until it has an answer.  Even so. Jacob wrestled all night with a heavenly foe, and when daybreak came and his adversary asked for release, Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me” (Genesis 32:60).

    Yet fervent prayer is “offered” to God.  The Greek term is difficult to translate but generally means “to become.”  Thus, ardent prayer comes into being” or “arises” from the hearts of those who utter it. Prayer is like the smoke of incense; it comes from the burning of the heart, and then, by the heat of its fervor, it rises heavenward until it reaches the throne of God.  

Prayer like this is directed to God, who alone can help, as the psalmist confessed to God, “You are my Lord; apart from you, I have no good thing” (Psalm 16:2).

    Finally, this kind of prayer is made by the church.  In this situation, the church was active, while others were inactive.  We can imagine that while Peter was sleeping, the guards were nodding off, and Herod was in bed.  But the church is alert, watchful, waiting for an answer from the Lord. In fact, they were so engrossed in their prayer that they ignored the maid who said that Peter was at the door (Acts: 12:15). Luke reports that the church was gathered together in the house of Mary, the mother of John Mark.  But Peter tells the gathering to tell of the miracle to the “brethren” in Jerusalem under James the Just. 

              

    Thus, we see that the power of prayer is multiplied when members of the Body of     Christ come together in prayer. Yet, all the members of the Lord’s body are united in prayer, and knowing that others are praying worldwide adds to their zeal and ardor.

For Reflection

What are the circumstances that require fervent prayer offered to God? In the broader sense, we depend on God for everything we are and have. When in despair, we need prayer.  When in temptation, we need prayer. When in danger, we need prayer.  When under stress, we need prayer.  When discouraged, we need prayer.  When in trouble, we need prayer.  When we are sick, we need prayer.  When we suffer the loss of loved ones, we need prayer. But in ordinary circumstances, when the waters of life are calm, we also need prayer, and we need to pray for those who are storm-tossed on the sea of life.